Perhaps it is because his chief speechwriter has spent the crisis playing beer pong in Georgetown bars. Perhaps it is because while embracing peak oil, the oil spill never piqued his blue state interests since it affected red states.Whatever the reason, Barack Obama gave the most depressing Oval Office speech since Jimmy Carter’s malaise speech. He didn’t just embrace defeat, he wore it on his suit as a substitute for an argyle sweater. He tried to sound upbeat in the way a cop in a movie might sound when his partner lay mortally wounded and the cop needs to get the partner’s wife to the hospital without letting her know her husband is dying. It was a false optimism with Barack Obama distracting Americans in a game of three card monte.The best summation of the speech comes from our own Caleb Howe, who tweeted, “Let me be clear. Some oil spilled. But Katrina. And make no mistake. I’m having meetings. In conclusion, something about China. Windmills!” That, ladies and gentlemen, is the President’s whole speech in 140 characters.“Look on the bright side,” he seemed to be saying. “You can’t get skin cancer while wearing hazmat suits at the beach. And hey, you don’t have to worry about shark attacks any more along the gulf coast since all the sharks are dead. And by the way, we’re going to go with clean energy.”Shuffling the cards around the table dazzling people with news and “better late than never” actions, a few gratuitous shots at BP, steps to be taken, and new policy initiatives, he hoped we would forget the oil spill. He hoped we would not connect that green energy initiatives are not going to fuel our cars or make our tupperware or clean beaches or even “plug the damn hole.”In fact, that’s a starting point for reviewing his speech.Please click here for the rest of the post.

The president will try to push back against the perception among the American people that he and his administration don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to the spill—a perception that is particularly damaging because it happens to be true.In this context, Obama’s recent declaration that he’s looking for an “ass to kick” was a revealing public relations gaffe. It was an expression of frustrated impotence and clumsy anger from a president without solutions—as if throwing a temper tantrum would put things right, or at least get people off his back. It was also a sign of desperation: Obama must find that “ass to kick” as soon as possible, and he knows it.Inevitably, the next few months will bring a major crackdown from the White House and its allies on the energy industry and oil companies. When you don’t have any answers, the easiest thing to do is find another villain and shift the blame.Please click here for the rest of the post.

he National Rifle Association just sold out your First Amendment right to participate in the democratic process. Sources on the Hill tell RED STATE that House Republican members are “furious” that the National Rifle Association (NRA) for negotiating a special provision exempting the NRA from a new campaign finance reform measure racing through Congress. Evidently, the NRA has inserted a provision in the bill that would exempt organizations under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code that qualify under certain conditions. The conditions apply to the NRA and were clearly crafted by the NRA. This special interest carve out for the NRA has sent Republicans in the House into a rage. Expect House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to unload all they have against the Democrat, and NRA enabled, attempt to restrict First Amendment rights of all Americans to participate in the electoral process.Please click here for the rest of the post.

The Democrats are crying foul over a college student videotaping Congressman Etheridge’s assault.You see, it was a right-wing ambush and Bob Etheridge was justified in assaulting the college student. Caught on tape, Etheridge pulled the student’s hand toward him and the student asked to be released. Etheridge refused.This all happened after the student asked Etheridge if the Congressman supported the Obama agenda.Contrast this to the Democrats’ handling of the George Allen incident.Please click here for the rest of the post.

I don’t know what it is about attractive, powerful, conservative women, but they drive the left absolutely crazy.That’s just another reason to support Pamela Gorman. In the Arizona State Senate, Pamela was willing to be the lone vote against matters and was willing to drop amendments on popular legislation to kill it because, while popular among politicians, the legislation would be detrimental to freedom.The left hates women like that — pro-life, pro-gun, pro-freedom conservatives.Please click here for the rest of the post.

Much has happened since Rabbi Nesenoff emailed me his video interview of Helen Thomas containing her now-famous declaration that Jews should get the hell out of Palestine and go back to their homes in Germany and Poland. Upon first watching the interview, I saw it a big story and was determined to make it go viral. The objective was not to go after the 89-year-old newswoman per se, as a teaching opportunity, showing that anti-Semitism still permeated through normal American society. That teaching moment didn’t really happen; instead I was the one who did the learning, and the lesson was all about how the media really worked.The White House Press corps seemed very reluctant to touch the story. On one hand that was understandable as Thomas was a respected colleague. Most of them had worked with her for a very long time. On the other hand it was big news, and if the Rabbi’s interview subject was a senior member of the Administration those same reporters would have been all over the story.When they got around to covering the story, media got the “facts” of the incident wrong.Please click here for the rest of the post.